Blood supply nears pre-attack levels

Staff and wire reports

Thousands of people who pledged to donate blood after Sept. 11 aren't doing so, as the nation's supply dwindles to pre-attack levels and in some places nears shortages.

Blood supplies always drop in the winter, as snowstorms, flu and holidays hinder regular donors from giving. Blood banks hoped this winter would be different after hundreds of thousands lined up to donate after the attacks. Instead, supplies are tightening again. Stocks of O-negative, the only blood type everyone can use, are especially worrisome.

"We're seeing a trickle" of Sept. 11 donors return, adds Jim McPherson of America's Blood Centers, whose member blood banks supply about half the nation's blood. "It's a little disheartening."

Some potential donors tell blood banks they don't see the need to give again unless there's an emergency. That's a dangerous misconception. Emergencies happen every day. A single car crash can require 50 units of blood.

Some blood banks also report calls from donors angry that the Red Cross threw away 49,000 pints collected after the Sept. 11 attacks and wondering why they should donate again. But Mary Burton, executive director of the organization's Southeast Missouri chapter, reminds donors that a portion of every pint was used for platelets or plasma, which last longer.

Three days to process

Burton said every January, designated National Blood Donor Month, sees a blood supply shortage. The level isn't critically low this year.

"Donors think that when an event happens, such as the Sept. 11 attacks, or when there is a tragedy locally, like there has been a car accident or a policemen is shot, they can run in then and donate," she said. "The public needs to know that the blood needs to be donated before that tragedy strikes. It needs to be processed and be on the hospital shelves. It takes three days for that."

There will be a blood drive Jan. 17-19 at the Westfield Shoppingtown in Cape Girardeau, or donors can call 339-1822 for information on other blood drives.

The Red Cross' Dr. Jerry Squires said people must understand 49,000 excess units of blood is a small fraction of the millions collected each year.

Red blood cells last only 42 days, so regular, repeated donations are necessary.

Appealing for donations

No one has tracked exactly how many Sept. 11 donors have returned. But experts say it's easy to see that only a fraction have: Government monitoring concludes supplies that jumped 33 percent are now largely back to pre-attack levels -- and those levels were so tight that many areas routinely experienced shortages.

Today, about a third of America's Blood members are appealing for donations because they have a day's supply or less of certain blood types. The American Red Cross, which supplies the other half of the nation's blood, contends it's doing better this winter than last but acknowledges it has only a one- or two-day supply of crucial Type O-negative blood, too little for comfort.

One blood bank that is counting Sept. 11 returnees: The Central Florida Blood Bank in Orlando had 6,000 first-time donors that week and tracked 891 returns by Christmas. To help lure more back, it's trying giveaways such as patriotic T-shirts and free long-distance phone cards.

Many Americans don't understand that blood must be regularly replenished so enough is on hand when emergency strikes. Donating after disaster won't help the first victims because required safety testing takes a few days.

There are ways to help this winter, says America's Blood Centers, which this week begins ads designed to spur donation:

People can donate once every 56 days.

Even if you've never donated before, starting is especially important during the winter, when colds, flu or bad weather sideline many longtime donors.

When bad winter weather strikes, donate blood as soon as it is safe to drive to your local blood bank. Snow and ice storms are times when blood is used rapidly.

If weather or illness prevents you from donating, call your blood bank to reschedule an appointment.